Variable resistance swimmer training device



June 30, '1970 A. I. JACOBSEN 3,517,930

VARIABLE RESISTANCE SWIMMER TRAINING DEVICE Filed Feb. 6. 1967 A24 54 JHCOB SEN United States Patent 3,517,930 VARIABLE RESISTANCE SWIMMER TRAINING DEVICE Allen I. .lacobsen, Lawrence, N.Y. Mrs. Sol Cohen, Millstone Circle, Stamford, Conn. 06903) Filed Feb. 6, 1967, Ser. No. 614,346 Int. Cl. A63b 31/04 U.S. Cl. 27271 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A training device 'for competitive swimmers which can easily be adjustably mounted on the swimmers body to provide predetermined resistances of varying degrees to the forward movement of the swimmer causing the swimmer to exert greater eifort, wherein the resistance is caused by members of varying shape and curvature mounted removably on the device and extending from the body at various degrees of angularity.

This invention relates to a training device for swimmers engaged in competitive swimming and is an improvement over my prior Pat. No. 3,142,485 granted July 28, 1964.

In my prior patent there is set forth in considerable detail the purpose of the trainer device which essentially provides an added resistance to the swimmer as he moves through the water While engaged in practice swimming in order to increase his competitive capacity in the way of strength, endurance and speed.

Accordingly the primary object of this invention is to provide a device to be attached to the body of the swimmer which will increase the resistance of his body to his movement through the water.

Another object of this invention is to provide a rigid resistance creating member of a particular size and arcuate shape that is detachably secured to a harness or other body attaching member and operative to offer resistance to water when the swimmer moves therethrough.

A further object of this invention relates to the resistance creating member being adjustable in its attachment to the body harness such that by changing its position with relation to the body harness there will be effected a different degree of resistance to the water when the swimmer moves therethrough.

A further object of this invention relates to the resistance creating member having a central opening therethrough, the opening being selectively adjustable in size so as to vary the amount of resistance surface, as prefer-red.

Further objects of the invention will appear as the description proceeds.

To the accomplishment of the above and related objects, my invention may be embodied in the form illustrated in the accompanying drawings, attention being directed to the fact, however, that the drawings are illustrative only, and that change may be made in the specific construction illustrated and described within the scope of the appended claims.

FIG. 1 is a side view of a swimmer in the water with the trainer device shown attached to the swimmers body.

FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of the resistance member of the trainer device.

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of the resistance member worn in one position,

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3 showing the resistance member in a different position.

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 1 showing a modified form of resistance member as worn on diiferent positions.

FIGS. 6 and 7 are end and side views of a belt type of resistance member.

F CC

FIGS. 8 and 9 are perspective exploded views of a modified form of harness with an adjustable and detachable resistance member.

FIG. 10 is a perspective exploded view of yet another modified form of resistance member and harness.

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of another modification.

Referring to the drawings in detail, there is shown in 'FIG. 1 a swimmer in the water having attached to his body a harness 10 embodying a fiat rigi'd support 12 secured by fore and aft cords 14, 16 tied in any appropriate manner to the body. It is to be noted that the rigid support 12 is placed against the abdomen, this being the preferred position, with the cords '14, 16 encircling the waist of the swimmer. 'Ihe cords 14, 16 are each passed through a pair of transversely spaced openings in support 12. The rigid support 12 is substantially rectangular and may be of wood, metal or plastic. On its underside the rigid support 12 is provided with a bracket 18 having a forward flat and rearwardly inclined face 20. Rigidly secured to the bracket 18 and in engagement with the face 20 by means of the screw or bolt 22 is a resistance member 24.

The resistance member 24 is formed as a relatively thin rigid sheet of wood, metal or plastic of concave convex curvature as shown in FIG. 3. It may have any desired peripheral outline as shown in FIG. 2 and in effect serves as a stationary blade with relation to the body of the swimmer. The resistance member 24 is symmetrical about its vertical axis with its side edges inclined away therefrom and is widest adjacent the bottom edge thereof. In the position shown in FIG. 3 the concave side 25 of the resistance member faces forward so that as the swimmer moves forwardly in the water, the resistance member will catch and hold within the concavity a volume of water such as to impart a greater resistance to forward movement. Thus, the curved resistance member 24 will act to establish a greater resistance to forward movement of the swimmer were the resistance member to be flat as in my prior patent.

Should it be desired to have a lesser resistance the curved resistance member 24 may be reversed so that its convex side 26 faces forwardly, see FIG. 4. This is accomplished by detaching screw 22, reversing the resistance member 24 and securing the same to the bracket 18 by means of the screw 22 in the manner readily apparent. Thus, with the swimmer moving forwardly the water will tend to glide a flow down across the convex side 26 with a consequent lesser resistance.

FIG. 5 illustrates the harness 10 carrying a flat resistance member 30 which is adjustably mounted on the support 12 for placement in different fixed angular positions. Any suitable means may be provided to accomplish this, as for example, the resistance member 30 is hinged to the underside of the support 12 as at 32 and a length of chain 33 connects the outer end portion of the resistance member to a hook 34 at the forward end of the support, a link of the chain fitting over the hook. With the resistance member held at right angles to the support 12 there will be set up a maximum resistance which will be lessened the smaller the angle to which the resistance member 30 is adjusted by chain 33. The resistance member 30 may be inclined either in a forward direction, as shown, or it may be inclined in a rearward direction. In lieu of the flat resistance member 30, the same may be replaced by the concave-convex resistance member 24 hingedly connected to support 12. FIG. 5 also illustrated in dotted lines that the harness 10 may be applied to the chest of the swimmer if this location be found desirable.

FIGS. 6 and 7 illustrate a modified form of harness and resistance member. In this case a belt 40 adapted to enricle the waist of the swimmer has afiixed thereto a row of resistance members 42. These resistance members 42 may be of any desired shape or size and are secured in spaced apart relationship at their underside to an inner belt member 43 and at their upperside to an outer belt member 44. With the belt worn by a swimmer resistance to forward movement is impeded by the flow of water restricted to flow between the resistance member 42 as well as by the resistance members themselves. The resistance members 42 may be flat or arcuate (as 24 of FIG. 1) and of any desired size and configuration.

FIGS. 8 and 9 illustrate a belt type harness secured to the upper side of a flat support 52. The belt 50 is provided with a suitable buckle or fastener means (not shown). Securely mounted on the underside of the support 52 is a bracket 53 provided with a T-shaped slot 54 extending transversely of the support 52 .(and the body of'the swimmer). Openings (not shown) in the depending legs 55, 55 of the bracket receive a screw fastener 56. An arcuate (concave-convex) resistance member 58 similar to 24 of FIG. 1 is provided along its upper edge portion with a T-shaped head 59 adapted to fit in the T-shaped slot 54 of braket 53, both in the position shown in FIG. 8 with convex side forward or the position shown in FIG. 9 with concave side forward. The resistance member 58 when so positioned in the slot of the bracket is securely held therein by the screw fastener 56, which passes through an opening in the T-head, and wing nut 60. The arcuate resistance member 58 functions in the same manner as the resistance member 24 (FIG. 1).

In FIG. 10 a harness has cords 14, I16 afiixed to a support plate 62 similar to that shown in FIG.1. The support plate 62 carries on its underside an inverted U-shaped bracket 64 having its arm directed transversely of the support 62. Aligned openings 63 in the arms of the bracket 64 receive a screw fastened 65 having a nut 66. To be secured within the bracket 64 is a resistance member 68 which is flat and of a thickness to fit at its upper end within the U-bracket 64. The resistance member 68 is generally of the same configuration as the resistance member 24. An opening 69 is provided to register with the openings 63 for receiving therethrough the fastener. On its forward face there is provided on the resistance member 68 a plurality of forwardly directed fins or vanes 70 which impart an added resistance to that set up by the member 68 itself by impeding the lateral flow of the water as the member 68 moves forwardly in the water. The resistance member 68 may be of any desired size shape and configuration.

In FIG. 11 a further modified construction is shown wherein a resistance assembly 71 includes a rigid fiat support 72 having channels 73 on its underside for retaining cords 14 and 16 that encircle a swimmers body. A groove 74 on the underside removably receives a flange 75 angularly disposed along one edge of a fiat resistance panel 76; the panel being secured near its opposite edge by means of bolts 77 and wingnuts 78 to one end 79 of a fiat brace 80; the opposite end 81 of the brace being secured by bolts 82 and wingnuts 83 to the flat support 72. An adjustable aperture 84 through the panel 76 is provided by a unit 85 mounted on the panel 76, thereby providing a means for selectively varying the resistance area.

The novel features and the operation of this device will be apparent from the foregoing description. While the device has been shown and the structure described in detail, it is obvious that this is not to be considered limited to the exact form disclosed, and that changes may be made therein within the scope and the spirit of the invention.

Having thus set forth and disclosed the nature of this invention, what is claimed is:

1. A swimmer training device for increasing the resistance of a swimmers body to his movement through the water comprising:

(a) a harness for attachment to a part of the swimmers body,

(b) a support carried by said harness,

(c) a bracket fixed to the underside of said support presenting an attaching portion,

(d) a resistance member having a part thereof connected to said attaching portion and having diverse front and rear sides,

(e) fastener means extending through said part and connected to said bracket for securing said resistance member thereto,

(f) said resistance member is concave-convex,

(g) said. resistance member depending below said support and harness for placement in the water and being positioned transverse to the body of the swimmer, and 1 (h) said resistance member being operative in either of two selected positions with its concave or convex side forward whereby to provide different degrees of resistance in the water to forward movement of the swimmer.

2. The training device of claim 1, wherein:

(a) the attaching portion of the bracket is at the front thereof and inclined with relation to the underside of the support, and

(b) said part of the resistance member is at the upper end thereof for seating engagement on the inclined front of the bracket.

3. The training device of claim 2, wherein:

(a) said attaching portion and said pivotally connecting means constitute a hinge,

(b) said adjustable connecting means comprising a chain connected at one end to said resistance member, and

(c) a hook fixed to said support forwardly of the hinge connection to which a link of the chain at its free end portion is attached.

4. A swimmer training device for increasing the resistance of a swimmers body to his movement through the water comprising:

(a) a harness for attachment to a part of the swimmers body,

(b) a support carried by said harness,

(c) a bracket fixed to the underside of said support presenting an attaching portion,

(d) a resistance member having a part thereof connected to said attaching portion and having diverse front and rear sides,

(e) fastener means extending through said part and connected to said bracket for securing said resistance member thereto,

(f) means pivotally connecting the upper end portion of said resistance member to the attaching portion, and

(g) means adjustably connecting said resistance memher to said support for selectively varying the angular relationship of said resistance member to said support.

5. A swimmer training device for increasing the resistance of a swimmers body to his movement through the water comprising:

(a) a harness for attachment to a part of the swimmers body,

(b) a support carried by said harness,

(c) a bracket fixed to the underside of said support presenting an attaching portion,

(d) a resistance member having a part thereof connected to said attaching portion and having diverse front and rear sides,

(e) fastener means extending through said part and connected to said bracket for securing said resistance member thereto,

(f) said resistance member including a flat brace angularly disposed between an outer portion of said resistance member and said support,

(g) bolt and wingnutmeans for removably securing said brace to said support and said resistance member, and

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 7/1913 Lamb 9-303 5/1925 Renzo -2 9-303 6 1,767,651 6/ 1930 Luthbertson 9-303 3,142,485 7/1964 Jacobscn 272-1 3,373,991 3/ 1968 Smalley 272-71 ANTON O. OECHSLE, Primary Examiner R. DIAZ, 1a., Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 9-303 

